The Rise of the Touched Soul
by Madfizz
Summary: WARNING: Not for the fans who love Ron! What if after the War, when things seemed to finally be normal, everything changed forever? What if you turned to the last chapter to see there was no 19 years later? For those fans who wanted HP to end up with HG!
1. Chapter 1: A new beginning

**Chapter 1: A new beginning**

Harry Potter never dreamed that he would have actually defeated the Dark Lord Voldemort, nor did he ever dream that there would ever be a normal and violent free life for him to live. The world of magic was safe for the first time in almost 18 years thanks to the heroics of Harry. Yet, why did he feel so lost now? As if all purpose had left him? He was famous and had lived up to the expectations of thousands of witches and wizards but there was still lust for something more. These thoughts ran through his head as he got dressed to go downstairs to eat breakfast with his friends and their family.

The Burrow's residences had taken the loss of many friends and a family member very hard and were depressed for weeks on end. But, months had passed now and nobody in the Weasley family has ever spoken a word of it. This, for Harry, was a good thing because he of all people was has having the hardest time coping with all the losses as he was partly responsible. But this was not a time to think of all that because today Hermione Granger, which was one of Harry's best friends since year 1 of Hogwarts, was coming to stay over for the night with Harry and Ron. Ron Weasley was Harry's other best friend who had stuck with him all those years fighting Voldemort and his army as well as Hermione had. Harry had been at the Burrow ever since the death of Voldemort as figuring out who was his legal guardian was increasingly difficult as many had offered. He had no place to stay in other words.

'Morning Harry! You're up early now sweetie, why not go back and have another couple of hours rest?' asked Mrs Weasley as he passed her on his way down the stairs to the kitchen.

'Oh no it's fine, really Mrs Weasley I don't think I could manage going back to sleep' replied Harry.

'Well then why don't I just make you some scrambled eggs for breakfast then? The others will have to get up out of bed if they want their eggs warm then, they can't just sleep in all day now!' chuckled Mrs Weasley and hurried back down the stairs into the kitchen. After about 20 minutes, breakfast was ready and by that time everyone was out of bed and sitting at the dining table starving.

'Aw c'mon mum! How much longer? We're all starving here!' moaned Ron as he played with the cutlery in front of him.

'Ron, quit hassling mum otherwise we won't be getting any breakfast at all!' snapped Ginny, who was sitting next to Harry and giving Ron a glare. Harry felt uneasy as Ron retaliated by giving Ginny a glare which was usual, but what wasn't was how Ron gave it. The glare was sort of… evil in a way.

'Right, now who wants eggs?' asked Mrs Weasley.

After Breakfast, to everyone's enlightenment, Hermione arrived with her packed bags. Ron was the first to get to Hermione, hugging and giving her a peck on the lips. Harry watched as everyone went to greet Hermione then went over to join in.

'Hullo Hermione! Long time no see! How was trying to get back into Hogwarts going?' Harry asked as he hugged her. Ron and Ginny went to grab her bags and proceeded to head up the stairs to Ginny's room as Hermione would be staying there for the night.

'Mmh, not so well I'm afraid. I think I'll have to wait another month to even get approved. And to think that we saved the world and we still don't get any privileges whatsoever! I risked my education to find those bloody Horcruxes!' exclaimed Hermione.

'Well I'm sure within the next couple of days when Mr Weasley becomes the new Minister for Magic things will take a turn for the better!' Harry replied.

'Ah yes! Isn't that wonderful? I bet Ron and Ginny are pleased as punch. Their dad, the Minister for Magic! Mr Weasley will do great things I'm sure' said Hermione and turned to walk up the stairs to the top floor where Ginny's room was. Harry followed and soon all 4 friends were sitting on the floor of Ginny's room exchanging small talk about recent news.,

'Well I still have another year of Hogwarts, the NEWTs are going to be tough!' exclaimed Ginny as she put her head on Harry's shoulder.

'You two are going to be the luckiest teens alive, having you Dad being the Minister and all' Harry said as he relaxed while leaning with his back to the side of Ginny's bed. Ron nodded in agreement, letting a huge grin appear on his face as he did. Ginny however, felt quite the opposite.

'Ugh Dad's probably going to be heaps stricter now with all that responsibility. We'll see how it turns out though' explained Ginny.

The sun set on the horizon and The Burrow was engulfed in darkness. Everyone had finished eating Mrs Weasley's fabulous dinner which consisted of Mashed Potatoes and Roast Pork. Everyone headed upstairs to get ready for bed and Harry felt tired as the day was packed with excitement. After getting ready he hopped into the bed parallel to Ron's and slid under the sheets, waiting for sleep to take over. Ron however, had been moody all day and when he got into bed he grunted a goodnight and turned the lap that was on the side table off. Harry returned the goodnight statement and closed his eyes…

Harry was awakened by a hard thump which sounded like someone dropping to the floor. Still groggy from sleepiness he reached for his glasses but was shocked to hear grunts of pain coming from the floor. Suddenly, a scream echoed through the room. Harry could just make out a girl reach to turn on the lights but was halted by something. Harry looked down to see another figure stand up and raise his wand at the girl.

'AVADA KEDAVRA!' Yelled the boy on the ground and Harry watched as the girl was blown backwards through the doorway and into the corridor outside. Gobsmacked, Harry reached over for his glasses, grabbed them and shoved them on. What he saw shocked him terribly. Ron was standing now with his wand raised at Harry. Harry quickly rolled over just as Ron had fired another killing curse and smashed his head on the lap and side table. Landing with a thud on the floor, Harry was overwhelmed with dizziness just as Ron had with craziness.

'You've gone mental Ron! STOP!' Yelled Harry and tried to stand up. Ron aimed his wand again at Harry and began to mouth the killing curse once more.

'EXPELLIARMUS!' Screamed another voice which was familiar to Harry in his dazed state. Ron's wand flew out of his hands just as Harry looked up to see Hermione pointing her wand at Ron and shaking heavily. She started to run at Harry and suddenly they both went through the window, shattering the glass and stumbling down the roof. They both fell into a large bush which had broken their fall. Ron looked from out the window and gave a menacing glare then apparated into thin air. Lights started to turn on inside the Burrow as Harry and Hermione recovered from the fall.

'Harry we need to leave NOW! Ron might be coming down any minute to finish the job!' exclaimed Hermione as she dragged Harry away from the bush and out into the paddock. Harry was too dazed and tired to even talk so nodded and ran with Hermione, out to the start of the forest at the end of the paddock. Their bare feet crunched the fresh green grass and the hems of their pyjama pants started to get saturated from the midnight dew. It was the beginning of a dark night for Harry and Hermione as they managed to hit the start of the forest. Harry pulled his wand out from his side pocket (lucky he had it there!) and clutched it tightly, thinking about how or what had possessed Ron to do such a cruel thing.

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hey guys thanks for reading, um... Please R&R because this is my first FanFiction story (My others being on FictionPress which haven't gone too well lol) and I'd love to hear on what you think of my story! :)_

_Thanks xD_


	2. Chapter 2: The first encounter

**Chapter 2: The first encounter**

Anger and sadness swelled inside Harry, his best friend had killed someone! And he had almost tried to kill Harry too! What happened back there? The event was now a blur to Harry as he and Hermione ventured through the forest. He finally had the strength to talk and had asked Hermione a number of questions, his first being who Ron did Ron kill.

'I-I'm not too sure H-Harry, I-' began Hermione but broke out into a sob, the shock had finally hit her… and hard. They stopped at a break in the forest, where there was a large lake in the middle of the break surrounded by bush and trees. Hermione sat down on the grassy field and looked out towards the lake, wiping away the tears as she did.

'Hermione, everyone else will probably think something happened to all of us, including Ron. And for the person who got struck… Well, I just hope it didn't hit that person. Should we go back?' Harry said. He sat down and comforted Hermione as she began to control her tears and stopped.

'Well, y-yeah maybe we shou-' began Hermione when suddenly a loud crack distorted the pair's ears. Ron had apparated on the lake and was hovering above the glassy water, making the water around him ripple slightly. Harry went to move I front of Hermione but was sent flying through the air by an incoming stun spell. Hermione raised her wand just as Ron went to aim at her and sent him pummelling into the dark depths of the lake. She then ran over to where Harry was lying and helped him stand.

'Okay that's enough! I've had it Ron! What has gotten into you?' yelled Harry, brandishing his wand as he walked and talked. Ron rose out of the water and black smoke trailed behind him as he glided over, very much like Voldemort did when he was alive, to Harry and Hermione.

'We're your friends Ron! We can talk about whatever is troubling you!' Hermione pleaded.

'Ron! Please… Don't do this…' Harry whispered as both he and Ron were heading towards each other. Harry yelled a stun spell causing Ron to fly back towards the end of the lake. Ron however, recovered before he hit the water again and yelled a binding curse. Ropes suddenly shot out towards Harry, wrapping itself all over Harry and almost suffocating and strangling him. Harry fell metres from the water's edge and tried to break free. Hermione ran over but was knocked backwards by an incoming spell cast by Ron. Ron then grabbed the ends of the rope and began to glide towards the lake, dragging Harry under in the process. Ron hovered over the glassy water while Harry drowned beneath, and as Harry tried to break free he could see Ron's face muddled up because of the blurry vision the water gave. It was distorted with evil and his eyes were a crimson red. The last of his air supply finally exhausted just as he broke free from the binds and burst up through the surface, startling Ron as he did. Harry raised his wand and deflected an incoming spell that Ron had shot at him and dove under the water once more, using the murkiness of the dirt bed below as camouflage.

'RON STOP! Petrificus Totalus!' yelled Hermione, hitting Ron square in the chest. He then dropped like a stone, falling into the water. Harry took once last glimpse of Ron's face while he was frozen before he rose to the surface again. A thought struck Harry. Ron wouldn't be able to breathe underwater if he was frozen stiff! Harry quickly dove down again and dragged Ron's stiff body to the surface. He then backpedalled towards the bank where Hermione was and stumbled out of the water, dragging Ron's lifeless body with him.

'I couldn't just leave him there to drown, he's not evil. There's obviously something wrong with him and I'm determined to find out what' said Harry and dumped Ron's body on the ground. The pair examined Ron for a while before deciding to apparate.

'Okay are you ready? Sure you want to leave him here?' asked Hermione as they got ready to apparate.

'Yeah, he'll be fine. I'm su-' began Harry before eyeing two black smoggy trails shooting down from above. Two hooded males in dark robes with a silver mask covering their faces appeared from the smoke. They began to open fire on both Harry and Hermione, sending spelling rebounded off trees. Harry grabbed Hermione's arm and began to run back through the forest.

'Death Eaters! What on earth are they doing? Let alone how do they even exist anymore?' panted Hermione as they began to get deeper and deeper into the forest. Harry was completely drenched and both of the soles of their feet were cut and openly bleeding.

'What do we do now? Attack? Apparate? They'll be sure to follow though…' Harry replied and pulled Hermione over to the nearest tree trunk and stopped. There was a river behind them heading downhill and by the looks of the currents they were pretty fast and rapid.

'I know this sounds crazy Harry but maybe we should take the river downhill to the nearest town or to where ever it will take us. It beats running through the forest barefoot and we might be fortunate to not run into any more Death Eaters at the end' explained Hermione as she peaked out from their hiding spot. She watched as the two Death Eaters began to scout the area, looking for any sign of their whereabouts.

'You're mad! What about rocks and things like that in the water?' whispered Harry.

'It's our only option at this point, and we'll come to that bridge when we get to it yeah?' replied Hermione. Harry quickly nodded in agreement and prepared to run to the river when suddenly hands shot out from around the tree truck, grabbing Hermione by the arm. A Death Eater had grabbed her and began to drag her away, then prepared to apparate. Harry retaliated by shooting a stun spell at the hooded man, causing him to release his grasp of Hermione. Hermione then made a break for the river and Harry followed but was shot with a curse when he was about to leap into the water. Hermione had already jumped in and was propelled downhill but watched as Harry fell in. The Death Eaters watched as the two sped down the river then apparated away, leaving only black smoke in their wake.

'HARRY! Where are you?' screamed Hermione as she spat out the water from the river and looked back, desperately searching for any sign of Harry. The water currents swept the pair downhill, leading them into the unknown…

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hey again thanks for reading if you have chosen to read on! Please R&R because I won't be continuing on with the series if I don't get anyone to read this. Honestly, there's no point in writing on if nobody reads it :)_

_Thanks :)_

_P.S. I've uploaded these two chapters together and it may take a couple days/a few hours for more chapters to come up depending on if I'm busy or whatever._


	3. Chapter 3: Grave findings

**Chapter 3: Grave findings**

_When I bonded with him all those months ago, I knew he would be the one…_

Hermione slowly opened her eyes, peering around to see where she was. She had washed up on a bank along the river. Sadly, she could not see any sign of Harry.

'HARRY! Where are you! Harry?' yelled Hermione as she slowly got up and dusted off the dirt off her drenched pyjamas. She began to walk down the riverbank, desperately looking for any sign of Harry. She was about to turn back when suddenly she saw a hand stuck to a log that was adrift until it caught onto a rock. Another hand then appeared, grasping onto the log tightly. Hermione quickly waded in until she was slowly drifting down the river, aiming to reach the log. Harry's head then appeared, and the biggest smile washed over Harry's face.

'We got away! Unscathed might I add' Harry said, facing her. They both were grasping onto the log and because of the extra weight added the log broke in half, separating the two once more.

'Try to make it to land Harry!' Hermione explained as the current began to speed up. The distance between them became greater as the pair sped down the current. Within a minute or so of the log separating, houses and buildings began to appear from where the two were looking.

'A town! Let's hope it's not a muggle town, we'll look quite the pair though even if it isn't a muggle town' Harry yelled. Hermione nodded in agreement and tried to reach out to grasp any reeds or rocks sticking out from the banks on either side of her. Harry, who was ahead of her, managed to grab onto some nearby reeds. 'Give me your hand Hermione! And I'll pull you ashore!' Harry explained and got ready to catch Hermione's hand. Hermione extended her hand and successfully grabbed onto Harry's. Just in the nick of time as further down the river were jagged rocks sticking out from either side. Harry pulled Hermione in closer towards him so she could grab onto the reeds as well. They then both struggled out of the water, using the reeds as a rope to safety.

After they had gotten out of the water, Harry and Hermione both began to walk towards the town ahead.

'Wait… We need to dry off otherwise we'll freeze to death!' Hermione exclaimed and stopped, causing Harry to backtrack to her.

'Know any spells? Cause I certainly don't, although sometimes I wish I was as bright as you. Remembering spells and whatnot' asked Harry as he reached her.

'Yeah I do,' Hermione replied as she aimed her wand towards Harry. Suddenly, hot air emanated from her wand, drying Harry's pyjamas instantly. She then dried off her own pyjamas and proceeded to walk towards the town.

'Thanks, but do you think it would be wise to go back to the burrow? Or would it not be safe, knowing that Ron might be able to trace us back there or because he knows we have nowhere else to go' explained Harry.

'I honestly don't know, although you do bring up a good point. Maybe we should check the town out first. If it's a muggle town, we'll leave for the burrow regardless. If not, well I'm going to get a new change of clothes!' Hermione responded.

The pair reached the edge of the town and began to walk down a dark alleyway, it was only maybe 1 or 2 in the morning and everyone would still be asleep. Harry had expected this and was not surprised when he peered out from the end of the alleyway to see bare streets and no lights on at all except for maybe one or two lamp posts.

'All clear, let's look around to see if there are any hints of this being a non muggle town. I wi-' began Harry before spotting a shop with owl cages displayed through the window.

'Guess it's a wizard and witch operated town!' exclaimed Hermione and proceeded down the street, looking left and right to find any clothes.

'Maybe we should just quickly go back and grab our stuff, whatdya reckon?' Harry said as he followed closely behind her.

'Yeah ok, let's go then' agreed Hermione and Harry grabbed her hand, then the pair apparated into thin air.

They appeared from the tall grass, brushing off the grassy pieces left on their clothes and made their way to the front door of the burrow. Harry suddenly dragged Hermione over to the window and crouched down low. He saw Mrs Weasley and Mr Weasley grieving over someone who was lying on the couch. There were two other men dressed in black robes with magical notepads writing down things obviously said to them by the Weasleys. George was sitting down in a chair on the other side of the room with his hands covering his face but Harry saw something else. Ron was comforting George while wiping back tears of his own! Was this an act or was he being serious? Both Harry and Hermione thought this as they peered through the window.

'Should we go in?' Hermione asked, her face mixed with confusion and fear.

'No, look what the two guys in the black robes have written' Harry replied, then turned to walk around the side of the burrow to look for a way to climb back up to his room. Hermione looked hard then spotted something that made her heart skip a beat.

**Main suspects: Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. One eye witness account from a mister Ronald Weasley. Cannot trace who shot the curse. **

She needn't read on, she knew that there was obviously a mistake or Ron had tricked them into believing that they had committed murder. Mr and Mrs Weasley moved from the couch and everyone made their way upstairs, revealing the person who had been killed…

Harry managed to climb back up to the broken window where he and Hermione had fallen from and climbed in. He grabbed his bags and chucked them down to the ground below then proceeded to Hermione's room to grab her stuff. Suddenly, he heard footsteps and sobs coming from the staircase. He quickly grabbed her bags and ran back into Ron's room just as everyone came up the last flight of stairs. Tossing the bags out of the window, Harry then jumped out of the window and made a loud noise as he hit the roof below. He could hear more noise coming from the room above as the lights of Ron's room turned on. As Harry got down to the ground level again Hermione had already come around to grab the bags and was ready to apparate. Harry went to grab her hand and looked up towards the window once more. He saw many shocked and sad faces that were looking down upon them.

'It wasn't us, yet I'm sorry' yelled Harry and then they apparated, back to the town which they had found while fleeing from the Death Eaters. The pair had appeared in the alleyway again, this time with all their stuff.

'Harry… I have something to tell you which may upset you quite a bit…' Hermione began 'I-I'm so sorry Harry… But…' she tried to hold back tears which were starting to form from her glistening eyes.

'Hermione… It's going to be okay, you can tell me anything' Harry said, unsure of what was coming.

'The person who was lying on the couch, who Ron killed… was Ginny'

_A/N: Thank you to all who have favourited, alerted and reviewed my story! I feel loved :) Please stay tuned as I WILL be continuing seeing as a few people have read this. I have big things planned for this story which I'm sure you'll all enjoy LOL. I'M SO SORRY I KILLED GINNY! PLEASE DON'T KILL MEH! D: But it had to be done!_

_Thanks again :)_


	4. Chapter 4: The rise of a new evil

**Chapter 4: The rise of a new evil**

Harry almost fainted at what Hermione said, she must be joking right? All of a sudden it hit him, he did have a rising suspicion it would have been her that Ron had struck. He leant back on the cold walls of the alleyway and let the sadness sink in, balling a fist and slamming it into the brick has he did. Harry then slid down and sat with his back to the wall and put his head on his knees, letting only a tear drop form at the corner of his eye. Hermione was crestfallen watching Harry take in the news; it only made her feel worse. She too sat down next to Harry, letting tears stream out of her eyes and not saying a word. Both sat in silence on the cold ground of the alleyway, they had no idea where they were and how they got into this predicament. Hermione then reached over and hugged Harry tightly, leaning onto his shoulder as he did. Harry accepted the hug and they sat there silently in each other's arms.

Ron was many things, but not a loser. The words "He's not evil. There's obviously something wrong with him and I'm determined to find out what" played through his mind over and over. The two Death Eaters who carried Ron's frozen body through the forest, Perry Harrow and Oliver Masters, had just joined the Dark Lord's army when they were about to attack the Castle of Hogwarts. They fled as soon as Harry Potter supposedly "awoke from the dead" and defeated the Dark Lord. However, once the pair went into hiding there were already rumours of a new successor, a rise of a new evil Lord. In disbelief, Oliver went to investigate only to find that none other than the Dark Lord himself appeared to Oliver in a vision. The Dark Lord indeed did confirm a rising of a new successor, a person who had been touched by his soul long enough for a small portion of the soul to latch onto the host and grow. This was exciting news to Oliver, and as he retold what was said to him to Perry, a thought struck both of them. The only three people that have come in contact with the horcruxes long enough and lived to tell the tale were none other than Harry Potter, Hemione Granger and Ronald Weasley. They just had to find out which was destined to turn…

'Oliver, d'ya reckon we should head on back to Lucius's manor with Mr Weasley? Maybe he could help out!' Perry exclaimed happily. He was obviously the less intelligent of the pair and was easily content when the duo got side-tracked or when they were on a job.

'You blithering idiot! Mr Malfoy would not believe us even if we did sound convincing and had a reasonable story to back it up!' retorted Oliver, obviously not happy about this sudden burst of glee.

'But we do… I saw the Dark Lord myself! The prophecy even came true! Mr Weasley DID turn evil! And we were right there when he did!' explained Perry.

'Fine, but if he doesn't believe us… So help me Perry I will cut your tongue off and feed it to the dragons!' Oliver said as he gave up on arguing with Perry altogether. The duo, along with Ron, apparated into thin air and moments later appeared at the gates of Malfoy Manor. It was late at night and after about 3 rings of the bell a dreary eyed Mrs Malfoy came to greet them.

'What do you want boys? We're finished with all that stuff now!' whispered Mrs Malfoy loudly, looking around as she did. She didn't open the gates just yet as she was weary of what two former Death Eaters were doing lurking about with a young man supported between them. That young man did look oddly familiar though to Mrs Malfoy.

'Let us in and hear us out! We have big news and-'

'The Dark Lord foresaw a second rising in evil; this is the boy that was touched by his soul. A Mr Ronald Weasley I believe' interjected Oliver, shooting a glare at Perry. Mrs Malfoy was stunned, such a turn of events was almost impossible, let alone a soul touched by The Dark Lord's and then turned evil. 'If you don't believe us, look in the Daily Prophet tomorrow. It should say that a Miss Ginny Weasley died at the hands of a forbidden curse, the avada kedavra spell if I'm not mistaken. The three suspects were Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger but we watched Mr Weasley kill the girl. We also advised him to go back to the scene and play innocent, let the other two take the blame. And with his dad becoming Minister for Magic soon, Potter and Granger will surely be imprisoned for a long time or executed. Justice for the Dark Lord!'

'I-I. Ugh… Come in, quickly now' Mrs Malfoy stuttered and opened the gates for the three of them. She then helped them drag Ron's lifeless body towards the house and prepared to listen to the whole story that Oliver and Perry had proposed to tell. But first, she went to wake Mr Malfoy and his son Draco so they could hear of the tale as well (in disbelief perhaps, thought Mrs Malfoy).

After a while it began to get cold on the floor of the alley and all Harry and Hermione were wearing were their pyjamas.

'C'mon Harry, let's find out where we are, get changed and find a place to stay' suggested Hermione.

'Yeah okay, you're right' Harry said, speaking for the first time since the bad news was told to him. They got up and opened the bags that Harry had salvaged during the raid of the Burrow. Once they had selected appropriate clothing, they dressed (one at a time, mind you) behind some dumpsters. Now they were ready to explore the town.

'First off we need a place to stay. Hotels, motels, pubs… Anything will do' explained Hermione, grabbing her bags and leaving the alley into the open streets of the quiet town. Harry followed silently and mumbled something which to Hermione sounded like "good idea". She was worried about Harry and how he took the news. Hermione had expected Harry to be angry and depressed, shocked and horrified but to her dismay, he was slowly shutting down and being almost lifeless. Maybe the shock will register later Hermione thought as she led him down the street, looking left and right. She was extremely sad too, yet her survival instincts told her that now was not the time to shut down and grieve. They have Ron and his Death Eaters hunting them down for some reason unknown to her.

'Over there!' Harry suddenly exclaimed, 'A hotel that's still open!' Sure enough, there was a 5 storey brick building with fire escape stairs on the side of the building leading down into another alleyway next to the front entrance.

'A quick escape route if we need it. Great, we should check in. Do you have any muggle money on you?' asked Hermione as the got to the front door.

'Yeah, I'll check us in then' responded Harry and they entered.

Ron's body slowly unfroze as Perry and Oliver reached their hideout in a small abandoned barn on the outskirts of Falcon Ridge, a muggle town where it was literally on the edge of a steep cliff overlooking the ocean. The town was also believed to be Harry and Hermione's new hiding spot so it was ideal to camp near it.

'You morons! Did you even injure any of them? Or let them escape unscathed?' Ron bellowed as he heard that Perry and Oliver had let the duo slip away. Death Eaters began to arrive in the barn as Perry had called them using the tattoo on his arm. Some gasped at the sight of Ron while others were unsure of this new alliance. Most of the Death Eaters had been killed or sent to Azkiban but a few still remained hiding, waiting...

'Welcome everyone! I know it's been a while since we last… err, gathered. You may know Ronald Weasley as an ally of Harry Potter's but, he's soul had been touched by The Dark Lord's and the prophecy of a new evil has come true! Rejoice all and bow to The Dark Lord's successor, your new master!' explained Oliver, ignoring Ron's harsh comment. Ron seemed to cheer up a little bit after hearing this and turned to face all the unsettled Death Eaters, his eyes glowing crimson red as he watched every face squirm in horror. Some had already bought the fact that Ron was indeed evil but others needed some convincing.

'Well? You sure this brat isn't going to turn us in and run the only remaining Death Eaters into the ground?' spoke someone close to the front. His mask wasn't on and his hood was down, revealing the worn face of a man in his 40s. Ron turned to him and without hesitation, raised his wand and muttered the killing curse. The Death Eater's lifeless corpse was blasted through the barn doors and out into the darkness where it lay untouched. Nobody wanted to go out to check in case Ron killed them too. They all now believed him even though their wands were still drawn. Some cheered in glee while others gained more confidence in Ron. They all half trusted Ron though, but perhaps Ron would help them finally overcome the Ministry for Magic and get revenge on Harry Potter.

Harry and Hermione checked in and an old man lead them to a room up on the 4th floor of the hotel. It was a small room but nice all the same. There was one single bed, one double bed, a lounge and a small kitchen all in the same room. Harry and Hermione dumped their bags on the floor and looked out to the only window in the room. The fire escape was here which was good for a quick getaway Harry thought to himself. Both their eyes drew to the same thing after a while. A sign on the road in the distance which said:

**Welcome to Falcon Ridge!**

* * *

><p><em>AN: Hey all thanks for reading! I'm so sorry it took a while for me to upload this but I went away on the weekend and the first week of school was hell. Please R&R and tell me what you think because I'd like to hear your thoughts on whether this is good to continue on or not. I've got some great stuff coming up and I want to be sure that this is the story to add the big guns too lol. Thanks again everyone who has favourited and alerted my story I promise I won't let you down :D Stay tuned because next chapter there is going to be more action and finally some romance ;)_


	5. Chapter 5: Falcon Ridge Ball

*Important Change* I have changed the title of the story from _What Never Was_ to _The Rise of the Touched Soul_. Please don't get confused as there is another Harry Potter story called _What Never Was_ and I don't want to get people confused when they are looking up my story. Thanks guys and please now look out for _The Rise of the Touched Soul_!

**Chapter 5: Falcon Ridge Ball**

5 days had passed since Harry and Hermione had checked in to the Falcon Ridge Hotel. 5 miserably quiet days for both of them. Hermione had tried to talk to Harry but he spent most of 5 days sitting there on his bed, lifeless and in deep thought. She had to go out and get food ingredients to cook but every time she did cook Harry only ate a little of it then went back to bed. It was hopeless; Harry was slowly sinking into depression. He was busy skimming over the last couple of weeks and how he hadn't come to the decision on where to live, whether it was living with someone he knew well or living on his own as he had the money to do so. Nobody had offered however so that made it all the more difficult.

On the 6th day however, when Hermione went out to get breakfast for the two of them, she overheard a happy couple going on about some event at the town hall. Her suspicions increased when she walked past the town hall and decorations were being moved in from the front door. She walked over to a small boy handing out fliers on the curb, intrigued by all the commotion.

'Hullo there miss! Would you like an information flier for the town ball tonight? Say… I haven't seen you around town, are you new here or visiting by any chance?' The boy asked contently as he shoved a flier in Hermione's hand.

'Um, yes we're just visiting. Thank you for the flier!' Hermione replied and hurried off back down the street to quickly buy some breakfast from the market.

'You're still welcome to come to the ball miss! Bye then!' yelled the boy as he called out to her.

She arrived back at the hotel half an hour later with eggs and toast, looking eager for the first time in a while. Harry was looking out the window when Hermione came in and he spun around to face her.

'Hermione, I'm sorry for acting depressed and weird lately. I dunno what's come over me but I know I haven't been much help at all and I'd like to make it up to you however I can' Harry explained.

'Well I know what will cheer you up, make up for your behaviour and make us blend into the town a little better! There's a ball that's going to be on tomorrow and I think we should go. Then perhaps we should leave to find another town. And don't worry about it Harry, I know how you feel and you shouldn't beat yourself up about it' exclaimed Hermione and hugged Harry tightly. He returned the hug and was finally a little bit happier for the first time in a week.

'Ok, let's do it then!' Harry said.

2 hours later, Harry and Hermione were just coming back from a clothes store that sold tuxedoes and dresses. They decided on their outfits, tried them on then bought it and headed back to the hotel.

'Do you think that Ron and his goons will find us here? I mean they aren't THAT powerful yet… right?' asked Hermione as they got to the door of their room. That was a question to be left unanswered thought Harry as he opened the door and let Hermione in first. First off he didn't know, he wished he did though. Secondly if they were that powerful, they would have already found them and killed them mercilessly. The day wore on and Hermione and Harry had passed the time by chatting about the ball and deciding what to do with Ron and his deadly intentions. They also got together a bag for grabbing in a hurry in case they needed to make a quick getaway from Ron and the Death Eaters.

'Sir, there is a ball tomorrow evening at the town's hall. My bets are that Potter and Granger will not be attending it, making it easier for us to scout the streets for them and to not be noticed by filthy muggles' explained a Death Eater as he approached the makeshift chair where Ron was sitting. They had all gone over plans and maps of the city as they were blind for the moment because they had little power. It will grow soon but for now they had to keep a low profile as it was still believed that Ron was kidnapped by Harry and Hermione and that they were the two murder suspects.

'No. I reckon they will be. They'd know better than that. I'm sure of it…' Ron spat. Night fell on the barn and the Death Eaters began to prepare for the scout tomorrow. Ron smiled as he watched the Death Eaters hurrying this way and that, it made him feel powerful. He will get his revenge for on Harry for killing his master.

The sun rose over the small town and Harry and Hermione got on with the daily chores for the day. Cleaning, making more muggle money and fixing up food to eat. The day wore on and finally it was only an hour until the Falcon Ridge Ball commenced. 5pm sharp the doors opened at the town hall and finishing time was around 11pm. The ball was, as it said on the flier the boy gave Hermione, a great way for the townspeople to meet new people, to have fun and to announce important news and events. The mayor, Mayor Thompson, was the host for the evening and was giving out prizes to the most well dressed and happiest couples at the ball. Harry could see that Hermione was overjoyed to be going and putting behind the bad experience of the Yule Ball which they attended in year 4 at Hogwarts. Harry was glad too because he didn't think much of balls after going and not partaking at anything. In other words, the perfect chance for both of them to put that one bad experience behind them. They both got dressed which took at least an hour and then headed out to walk to the Town Hall where people were already streaming in through the front doors.

'I hope this will be fun!' exclaimed Hermione as she pulled Harry through the crowd to enter the ball. They entered a large room where there was a dance floor with people waltzing at the front and at the back there were lots of tables and chairs. Also there was a bar and a window which showed a room looking into a kitchen area. They took a seat at the furthest table from the front of the hall and watched eagerly as couples danced to their heart's content. Suddenly the song that was playing had ended and a slow song began to play.

'Want to dance?' asked Harry as he got up and held out his hand. Hermione took it and they proceeded to the dance floor where couples were now slowly dancing with their arms around each other. They did the same and began to dance.

'Well this is nice now isn't it?' Hermione commented as they rocked back and forth slowly on the dance floor. Harry looked into Hermione's eyes, he'd never realised how pretty and stunning they were.

'Yeah, takes my mind off a lot of things' replied Harry. Hermione looked back into Harry's eyes and she wondered if maybe Ron WAS a lost cause (it pained her to say it) and there was maybe something she felt with Harry that she never felt before. The slow song finished and they stopped dancing. Most couples had moved off the dance floor to sit down but Harry and Hermione didn't move; they were still locked in each other's gaze. Hermione was unsure about this but decided that Ron HAD tried to kill her and Harry was sort of amazing. They both closed their eyes and leant in… before a loud explosion echoed through the hall. Hermione froze while Harry swung around to look for the source of the explosion. His eyes stopped at the front door where a man in a suit wearing a black mask and cavalier entered, wielding the sword of Griffindor. He twirled it around whilst he strode in and stopped metres from the dance floor were Harry and Hermione stood, still holding onto each other. Harry spotted the ginger hair sticking out from under the hat and he immediately knew who it was.

'Hullo Harry! Hullo Hermione! Why wasn't I invited to this ball?' Ron yelled cheerfully. Some of the guests thought this was some sort of joke or show and began to clap. Others, including the security, were uneasy. Ron then rolled his sleeve to reveal a watch which Harry was amazed that Ron could actually get a hold of stuff like that and proceeded to talk. 'Make sure if anyone interferes you deal with them' Ron whispered then pointed the end of the sword to Harry.

'Ron, what are you doing here?' screamed Hermione, taking a step away from Harry. Ron could see what was going on and this infuriated him.

'I've come to get my girl back! And if you don't oblige then I'll have to kill you as well as Harry' Ron threatened. Harry stood in front of Hermione and pointed a finger at him.

'And what exactly are YOU going to do to kill us anyway? You know you're not powerful enough to get away with murder' Harry mocked.

'Nobody said anything about muggle murder now did they?' spat Ron as he lunged, taking a swipe at Harry's torso. Hermione stepped out of the way but Harry was less fortunate, getting cut lightly as he jumped back. His shirt was now torn and trickles of blood began to stream down Harry's chest. Now people were in panic, running towards the exit. However, 5 men in black suits with identical white masks blocked their way. They held small knives and easily killed off the security men who produced handguns from their belts. Harry clutched his bleeding chest as he grabbed Hermione's hand and ran towards the exit, knowing full well that they will stop them. But, to their surprise, they let them pass and they burst out into the fresh air where night had fallen over the town.

'Good, now we can use some magic. Some of you stay here and make sure no one leaves. The rest, follow me…' Ron commanded and headed out the front door to pursue Harry and Hermione. The pair began to run down the street, looking desperately for a hiding place. Hermione looked back and saw Ron and a couple Death Eaters hot on their tail, sending curses flying towards them. Hermione fired back but suddenly stopped when Harry stopped running forward. She found out why. More Death Eaters waited at the other end of the street. Hermione looked side to side and spotted the alleyway in which they had first entered the town. She pulled Harry over and they went through the alley. Suddenly a Death Eater appeared and sent a spell flying towards them. Harry pulled out his own wand, yelling Protago as he did. The Death Eater stopped shooting at him and Harry knew why, they were lead straight into an ambush. They were trapped!

_A/N: Thanks for reading guys! As you know I've changed the title so I hope you like the new story title! :D Thank you to all the people who have favoured and put my story on alert! I really appreciate people reading and enjoying my story. Thanks again for all the reviews and I encourage you to keep R&Ring as I'd love to hear your thoughts, suggestions and opinions. Stay tuned for the next chapter where I will be introducing a new character! We might see other original supporting characters later in the story… :P_


	6. Chapter 6: The Phantom Magician

Chapter 6: The Phantom Magician

Harry watched as Ron emerged from behind two Death Eaters at the other end of the alleyway, still wielding the sword and grinning slightly.

'Thought you could outrun us then?' Ron teased. Harry went to shoot a spell before a Death Eater produced his first.

'Expelliarmus!' yelled the Death Eater, sending Harry's wand flying out of his hands and falling nearby Ron. Hermione began to cast spells towards Ron's direction but the Death Eaters merely shrugged them off. Harry looked desperately for an escape route and spotted a ladder hanging to the left of them. It was reachable if one was boosted up a metre or so.

'Hermione, I'll give you a boost up to that ladder over there. Climb up to the top and apparate away if you can' whispered Harry.

'NO, I'm not leaving you here by yourself!' Hermione whispered furiously, standing her ground.

'What are you two going on about over there? I think it's time we taught you two some manners' Ron called, producing his own wand as he spoke.

'Hermione, trust me I'll be fine. If you can escape, you'll be able to get help!' Harry whispered and grabbed her hand. She looked at him and gave into his pleading look. 'I'll give you a boost when I say now'

'Still whispering? Ok boys, don't kill them… But let's have fun with it shall we?' Ron exclaimed and shot a spell towards them, setting off the rest of the Death Eaters' wands. Spells were flying everywhere, rebounding off walls and almost hitting both Harry and Hermione which Hermione deflected them.

'NOW!' yelled Harry and they both quickly ran to the ladder. Harry boosted Hermione up to the ladder and she grabbed a hold just as Harry got hit. He fell to the ground while Hermione paused to look down at him… but then quickly climbed the ladder as a curse missed her by inches.

'I'm sorry Harry! I WILL get help! I promise!' Hermione cried as she began to ascend up the fire escape stairs, all the way to the top.

'Someone follow her! Don't let her get away!' screamed Ron, pointing at a Death Eater to do the bidding. Harry got up, knowing he was powerless against the attackers and got knocked back down again by another curse. Blood flowed freely now from his chest as the spell hit him square in the chest. Harry saw one of the Death Eaters begin to reach for the ladder and got up to stop him. Once again he was knocked down by a curse which took the wind right out of him. Ron walked over to Harry just as he got to his knees and kicked him hard in the stomach. Harry coughed blood as he rolled over onto his backside, looking straight up at Ron's face and red eyes. Out of the corner of his eyes Harry could see the Death Eater successfully climb the ladder and proceed upwards to find Hermione. She'd have long been gone by now Harry thought happily.

'Well, well, well. This is exciting now isn't it? You're gonna pay for almost drowning and humiliating me Harry. This will only hurt like, heaps' Ron mocked as he used the blade of the sword to cut open Harry's shirt, revealing his bare chest. 'Any last words?'

'Yeah, I hope there's no hard feelings about losing Hermione then? I mean, it was your fault. Going and trying to kill us' Harry spluttered, not bothering to move as it was no use. His wand was metres away and there were Death Eaters on either end of the alleyway, guarding the premises. Ron's cheeky smile turned into a frown.

'Not much for last words Harry. Well at least you'll be able to see Ginny again…' Ron said and began to slowly cut the gash that he had made before at the ball. Harry screamed in pain and tried raising his hands to grab the blade but to no avail as his hands remained unmoving. Did someone petrify him while he was on the ground? Or perhaps he was too weak to do anything. Either way he was going to slowly die! Ron grinned as blood poured out of the now bigger slice made on his chest. Harry was getting slowly dizzier as he cried out in pain, pleading for him to stop.

'No can do, I told you that yo-' he stopped cutting Harry and turned around to see one of his Death Eaters disappear from the mouth of the alleyway, hearing a faint yelp in surprise. He proceeded to check it out when he heard more faint yelps coming from the other side of the alleyway. He turned around to see that he was now completely alone, with Harry still bleeding to death on the ground of course. Suddenly, a figure appeared from above and landed on the ground next to Harry. He wore a white half mask which only covered his eyes and a black cape with the hood of it leaving a shadow on his mask. He lowered the hood, revealing a black bandana that fully covered the top part of his head and proceeded forward towards Ron. Ron drew his wand but it was immediately blasted out of his hand. The masked man had drawn his wand quicker than Ron had expected.

'Who are you and what did you do with my men?' bellowed Ron, furiously holding the sword up to show that he was still armed and ready to fight. The masked man laughed briefly then raised his wand and muttered a spell, knocking the sword out his hands. Ron spat and turned to black smoke where he collected his wand and sword then disappeared. A faint "next time Harry" was heard as he left. The masked man lowered his wand then hurried over to Harry who was close to passing out.

'Fear no more muggle as you are safe now' the masked man reassured, kneeling down to take a better look at Harry's wound. The man glanced up to his face where he froze. He spotted Harry's scar from which he had since he was a baby and was recognisable to any wizard or witch on Earth.

'You're Harry Potter! Bu-but you're not a muggle?'

'Yeah, n-no shit Sherlock' Harry managed to say before passing out.

Hermione had apparated away just as the Death Eater reached the top of the building which was a close call. She managed to teleport to the only place she knew to be safe… Her old muggle home. Her parents wouldn't have a clue who she was as she had used the memory charm on them both, making them forget she ever existed in their lives.

'This feels wrong; I HAVE to go back…' Hermione said to herself and took one last look at her old home before apparating back to the alleyway. She looked around and saw only fresh blood on the floor. Panic struck Hermione as she ran out of the alleyway and back towards the town hall where everyone was still calming down and checking if anyone was injured. The Death Eaters had long gone it looked like but some muggles were commenting on a so called "Caped Hero" that came and chased the "Black Entities" away. She knew what the black entities were but hadn't a clue what they meant by Caped Hero. Had Harry overcome Ron and his goons and went back to save the townsfolk?

Harry awoke to find that he was on a cold, metal bench and the slice in his chest was mended, leaving only a scar. He looked over and saw his dress shirt that was stained in blood now fully clean and ready to wear again. Just as Harry got up, a sharp pain went through his chest and he realised that he was still wounded regardless of whether the slice was mended or not. So he slowly got up and pulled his shirt back on, examining the room he was in while he did. It looked like the inside of an old shack that had been lit up brightly. He saw maps, moving pictures of faces and lots of post-it notes on a large proportion of the wall he was facing. Suddenly, Harry's saviour entered through the door on Harry's left and sat down in an old chair that was facing a rusty metal desk. Harry did up the last button when the masked man spoke.

'So, Harry Potter. Why are Death Eaters attacking you in a muggle town? More importantly, what were you doing in that muggle town?' the man asked in a monotone. Taken aback by his sudden interest in him, Harry tried to change the subject.

'Who are you?' He asked.

'The Phantom Magician, protector of all muggles. To only use magic when a muggle is being attacked by witches and wizards. I do the muggle world a favour Harry Potter, I keep the bad people of our world under wraps so they don't give away that we are wizards and witches. Plus two I think it is unfair that muggles are constantly harassed and that they have no magical powers to defend themselves with. I have outlined who I am Harry Potter, now answer my question please' explained The Phantom Magician, looking blankly at Harry.

'um wow ok? Uh I didn't realise you were a hero then! So the muggles consider you to be a super hero… I-' Harry was cut off before he could say another word.

'Answer the question, I'm not here to dawdle with you. I need answers so I can hunt down and stop these criminals!' ordered The Phantom Magician.

'Ok then. Well long story short, that guy that was attacking me is out of his bloody mind. His name is Ron Weasley and apparently he has the Death Eaters on his side. I haven't a clue why he is attacking me apparently it's about revenge or something. Also we were hiding in that town from them… Wait. Where's Hermione?' Harry said with panic rising in his voice.

'The brown haired lady that you were with? The one who you made run and leave you?' asked The Phantom Magician intently.

'Well if you put it that way. Yeah. Where is she? Did she manage to escape?'

'I didn't see her when I saved you. Sorry' replied The Phantom and got up to leave.

'WAIT! You have to take me back to the alleyway in that town! She might be looking for me!' exclaimed Harry as he went to run towards the masked man but cringed in pain. It was evident that for him it hurt to even walk let alone run.

'I'll find her, in the meantime stay put, you're in bad shape' said The Phantom Magician then exited through the door into the darkness outside.

Meanwhile, Hermione had scouted the whole town for Harry but to no avail as he was nowhere to be seen.

'HARRY! Where are you?' cried Hermione as she wandered the streets. She spotted a group of men hanging around near a pole and went to approach them but then realised they were a gang. As Hermione stopped dead and silently turned to walk away one of the men had heard her approach and turned.

'Hullo luv! Come for a good time then?' the man yelled and winked. Now she was in for it Hermione thought bitterly to herself and ignored the man. She continued to walk in the opposite direction but she distinctly heard footsteps now approaching her fast. Looking back, Hermione saw that the gang of men were following behind her, looking deadly and serious. For the in her life, Hermione wanted only Harry to be here with her and to protect her from what horrible things might happen next… That is, if she could hold out long enough to not use magic in front of the muggles.

_A/N: DON'T JUDGE MEHHH D: Adding a hero to the story is just warming up the big guns that I'll produce later on! I'm still building to that point so yeah and it adds a little more action and fun to the story. (Hope you guys don't mind that is cos i know hero stuff is a little out of topic in Harry Potter. However, nobody has really thought of a superhero among muggles which the hero is infact a wizard or witch!) :D Thanks to all for favouriting, putting my story on alert and reviewing... Yeah some of the reviews confuzzle me haha so don't be surprised if you get a message back saying WTF! lol. Sorry about the wait I got lots of stuff on my plate at the moment and I went away for the weekend :s Thanks again guys it (i know this sounds cheesy but) warms my heart to see lots of people favouriting and alerting my story. I'm not used to this sort of stuff as you can see (Newby. I know). Please R&R, for those who have just joined us- Favourite and alert my story and let me know what you think! Phew! Long AN. _

_Thanks ;)_


	7. Chapter 7: Complications

Chapter 7: Complications

'Things have changed. He failed. Simple as that'

'What do ya mean failed? What happens now? I've put a lot of trust into you, and I've risked everything I knew just to grab the boy and push him towards our side! Things CANNOT change' shouted Oliver angrily, pacing back and forward (Or more like limping after the encounter with the caped man) and stopping every so often to glare at the gypsy. Perry sat motionless on the rugged old couch across from Madame Ipswich while watching Oliver go through another one of his tantrums. After the beating from the anonymous hero, the Death Eaters and Ron had re-grouped back at the barn. However, Oliver was concerned that Ron may not be worthy to even be the second Dark Lord. Expressing this Perry, they both agreed to go back and see the gypsy which told them in the first place that Ron was destined to be evil. Yet… It was the dark Lord Himself that originally hinted this to be so. This gypsy lived in a caravan near the outskirts of London and hardly ever came out at ALL.

'Calm yourself Mr Masters. I do not wish to put myself in danger of being imprisoned for helping Death Eaters if I am to be yelled at by morons like you'

'DON'T CALL ME A MORON! You don't understand anything do you? Ronald Weasley IS NOT even a challenge to the two lovey dovey birds! He just got lucky when he did prevail and he got his ass kicked by a man in a bloody Halloween mask!' yelled Oliver and stopped pacing altogether.

'I understand perfectly,' she hissed, standing as she did 'He failed to kill Potter in that alleyway tonight. If he had of succeeded however, he would have been of worth to be the next Dark Lord'

'You two sound like an ol' married couple!' laughed Perry but instantly fell silent when both Oliver and Madame Ipswich gave him an angry glare.

'Shut it Perry. So what happens now woman? I'm starting to think that I wasted my gold on you' Oliver spat and proceeded to sit down next to Perry. The insides of the caravan smelt like rotten fish and this bothered Oliver greatly. However, he succeeded in blocking the smell out and focused on the more important issue.

'Well I foresaw two destinies Mr Weasley could have had. I saw him being the Dark Lord more than the other destiny because at the time destiny was so sure to pick that path. Things change however. This would be a good time to brush up on some old magic boys' smiled Madame Ipswich as she sat in her old wooden chair, wiping the dust from the dull metal desk she sat behind.

'What? Speak English please, not gypsy talk' Oliver said bitterly.

'I understood that Ollie. Clean out yer ears perhaps!' Perry exclaimed. He was rewarded with a slap to the back of the head by Oliver. The gypsy frowned and got up from her desk. She proceeded to the back of the caravan where there was an old bookshelf with stacks of books. She quickly scanned the shelf then absently pulled a book out of the shelf and dusted it off. Oliver read the title of the book before she even presented it to him. It read:

_**Magic of the dark ages**_

'Interesting,' Oliver said as he grabbed the book hastily from the gypsy's grasp 'but what's this got to do with Mr Weasley and his "destiny"'

'You'll see, now leave. I have nothing more to say' Madame Ipswich explained and vanished behind a curtain on the other side where her desk was situated. Maybe it was her bedroom thought Perry as Oliver escorted him out the door and into the cold London air.

Hermione ran through the nearest alleyway she could find. Big mistake. It was a dead end! She reached the end where a 4 metre high brick wall stood in her way from safety and freedom. She turned around to see the gang had followed her into the alleyway, smiling cockily as they knew she hit a dead end. She instantly reached for her jean pocket where her wand was but then hesitated, would the Ministry for Magic punish her if she used it in self-defence? Hadn't Harry encountered the same situation and had to go to the ministry for it? If it wasn't for Professor Dumbledore Harry wouldn't have continued with Hogwarts… But Dumbledore isn't here to help her, neither is Harry. So what happens now?

'Seems you've hit a dead end darlin'!' One of the gang members jeered and began to approach her slowly. The others hesitantly followed, unsure now of the consequences involved if they ever got caught. Hermione breathed in and then spoke softly.

'Please, leave me alone. I don't have any money!' she pleaded, backing up to the wall. It was true, she and Harry were broke. Also, they couldn't just waltz into Gringotts again. They were wanted for questioning and they'd already broken into Gringotts once! Things just couldn't get any worse Hermione thought miserably.

'We dun want ya money sweety!' another said, showing signs that he was under the influence of alcohol. The gang laughed as Hermione tried to blink back tears. The man who jeered at her had finally reached her and went to grab her. Hermione pushed him aside and tried to run back towards the exit but the other members of the gang stood in her way. She skidded to a halt and looked for any way out, like a ladder or door.

'Okay boys. Let's have us some fun!' yelled one of the men and they began to run towards her. Hermione screamed and was about to pull out her wand before a shadow dropped into the alleyway beside her. She looked to see a hooded man with a white mask brandish his wand and blasted one of the men into the alleyway wall.

'Why does all the bad stuff have to happen in alleyways?' The Phantom Magician muttered and unleashed another spell on another one of the gang members who picked up a trash can and charged towards Hermione the Phantom. He went flying into two other members of the gang who looked flabbergasted.

'He's some kind o' superhero! Farout, RUN!' yelled a gang member and they all managed to escape the alleyway and ran off into the night. Hermione stood there in shock. What had just happened? She turned to see the masked man walk casually towards the exit of the alleyway to check if they were gone then backtracked towards her. Unable to stand and keep a stable mind anymore, Hermione felt dizzy and began to faint. The Phantom Magician ran to catch her and easily caught her then hoisted her up on his shoulder and disapparated.

Harry was not able to keep his patience any longer so decided to check out The Phantom Magician's hideout. He managed to get a good look around before he heard a faint "Click!" and watched as The Phantom Magician entered the room with Hermione on his shoulder. He placed her on the bed that Harry was on previously and watched Hermione silently as she opened her eyes again.

'HARRY! I'm so glad you're ok!' Hermione exclaimed and got up to hug Harry when he saw The Phantom Magician and stopped dead.

'You're welcome' The Phantom said slowly and turned to go back to his desk.

'Oh... Thank you for uh, saving me! Um, who are you anyway?' Hermione asked shyly. The Phantom turned around to face her.

'I am The Phantom Magician. The saviour of those who are in need of help. Mostly muggles now mind you' he explained and turned back to his desk where he grabbed a couple of photos.

'Thank you sir for bringing back Hermione,' Harry said then turned to Hermione gratefully 'I'm so glad you're ok!'

'Yeah I shouldn't have left you with them Harry. Thanks for saving me too Harry'

'What? Did something happen when you left?' Harry asked with a worried tone in his voice.

'Yes, she was about to get attacked by perverted thugs' The Phantom said in a bored voice then turned to leave the room.

'Where are you going?' Hermione asked.

'To find some people. I'll be back shortly' he replied, and with that The Phantom Magician exited and a faint "Crack!" was heard.

'Hermione, what happened to you? Are you ok?' Harry said and made Hermione sit down with him on the edge of the bed.

'Yeah I'm fine; I don't think I'll ever go into an alleyway again. What about you?' Hermione exclaimed with a dry laugh.

'Yeah totally, I th-' began Harry when Hermione spotted thread, needles and dry blood on the side table next to the bed and jumped up.

'Harry! Are you hurt?' Hermione exclaimed as she edged away from the bed, eying the blood with fear.

'No, I was. I'm fine now though' Harry said and patted his chest softly and smiled wearily. Hermione walked back over to him and unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the massive scar left by Ron.

'OH Harry!' She cried and hugged Harry. Wordlessly, he returned the hug and comforted her as she tried to hold back tears. She sobbed in Harry's shoulder while he stroked her hair. At least Ron got what he deserved thought Harry.

_A/N: Hey guys! Thanks to all the people who have put my story on their alert list and thanks for those that have put ME on their favourite list! I cannot assure you that I WILL make another fanfic. story but I might... MIGHT! Do a Megamind one XD. Anyways thanks for all the reviews too! As varied in opinions as they are I'm just glad I'm getting reviews eh? Please R&R and drop me your thoughts on how I'm doing so far because I really haven't had much time to actually get into this as I've been heaps busy. Also I'm very SORRY for the wait on the newest chapter but school's a b*#% so yeah :s (Sorry for the French but it had to be said!) Thanks all again I'm glad this is sort of getting to be a somewhat popular story now! :)_


End file.
